Nail-transferring device



J. F. STANDISH 2,082,852

NAIL TRANSFERRING DEVICE June 8, 1937.

Filed Sept. 20,1935

T'igtl.

34 l/E/VTUQ fdM Patented June 8, 1937 UNITED STATES NAIL-TRANSFERRINGDEVICE Application September 20, 1935, Serial No. 41,428

19 Claims.

This invention is concerned with nail-transferring devices, andespecially with those employed for delivering nails or like fasteningsto the inserting mechanisms of heel-attaching machines.

In apparatus for securing heels to shoes, the attaching nails arecommonly delivered to the work-supporting jack by a horizontally movableloader having a block provided with passages to which said nails aresupplied by hand or by an automatic distributor. The loader may becarried from a nail-receiving position to a naildelivering positioneither manually or automatically, its extremes of movement beingdetermined by stops. Whatever the manner of actuation, the loader maystrike its stops with considerable force. At the jack, the shockproduced by this abrupt stopping of the loader tends to disturb thecontained nails. It may be so great that they are thrown'from thepassages, and not infrequently they are inverted, so they rise and thenfall again into the passages. In the first instance, the machine willoperate without the insertion of a portion of the nails, or all may belost. In the second, the nails, driven heads first, are crippled. Ineither case, the operation must be repeated, there being a loss of bothtime and material. An object of my invention is to guard against suchoccurrences and to insure the accurate delivery of the transferred nailsto the jack.

In achieving this object, I combine with such a movablenail-transferring or -delivering device as a loader-block havingnail-holding passages opening through its opposite faces, means carriedby the block for closing both ends of the passages. Herein is disclosednail-retaining means movable at opposite sides of the block during themovement of said block into nail-delivering position. The retainingmeans may be in the form of sliding or otherwise movable shutters. Theone at the underside will support in the passages nails which have beensupplied tothem, as through the foot-plate-openings of anail-distributor, and then release these at the jack to be received inthe driver-passages thereof. The upper shutter may be normally opened toadmit the supply of nails, but will be closed upon leaving thedistributorto be opened only upon return thereto, so that, during thetransfer, the nails will rest in closed chambers. The closure at theupper ends of the passages being maintained at the time the loader isstopped at the jack, the previously-mentioned diiiiculties ofdisplacement cannot occur. Between the oppositely sliding shutters, Iprefer to use a single spring which holds them yieldingly in theirnormal relation, this spring conveniently being contained in a chamberin the block. The time of action of both shutters is controllableseparately, to render certain the correct opening of the passages. Avery effective arrangement for opening a shutter, herein shown inconnection with that through which delivery is made to the jack, is acontact member in the form of an eccentric rotatable in the shutter andhaving means for fixing it in different angular positions. To furnish acontinuation of the nail-holding passages which will tend to guideeffectively the nails into the jack, the lower nail-delivering shutteris relatively thick and has passages which become alined with thejack-passages. Further, to insure substantial continuity of the compoundnail-delivering passages, the underside of the lower shutter of theblock has a transversely curved groove corresponding to the form of thejack-top. Therefore, the loader and jack may closely co-operate for thedelivery of the nails to the latter. The upper shutter, having nocritical guiding function, may be light and thin.

In the accompanying drawing is shown one of the several possible formswhich my invention may assume,

Fig, 1 illustrating my improved transferring or loading device in brokenside elevation and in nail-delivering relation; 7

Fig. 2 is a similar View of the device in nailreceiving relation;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the device, and i Fig; 4 is an enlargedsectional perspective of said device in a position corresponding to thatof Fig. 2. a I a At D appears the lower portion of a nail-distributorand at J a work-supporting jack-post of a heel-attaching machine.Through tubes IU of the distributor nails are delivered in successiveloads, to be temporarily supported upon a shutter l2 sliding upon afoot-plate It in openings in which the tubes terminate. In the shutterare openings l5 normally aline-d with the footplate-openings but carriedout of registration therewith after a load has been supplied. The jackJ. has a convexly curved top l6 upon which the work is supported.Through thejack-top open passages 18 and in these operate reciprocatorynail-drivers 20. A nail-loader L is movable between the distributor andthe jack to transfer a load of nails for each heel-attaching operation.The general arrangement may be as in Letters Patent of the United StatesNo. 1,947,-

770, MacKenzie, February 20, 1934, the loader similarly moving betweenits terminal-points under the influence of a horizontally reciprocatingbar 22.

5 Considering my improved loading device, the bar 22 carries at one sidea frame 24 having a rectangular opening by which a block 25 is received. Flanges at the opposite sides of the block rest upon the frameand accidental upward displacement is prevented by spring-actuatedlatches 28, 28, which engage depressions in the ends of the block nearits opposite corners, holding it securely against tilting. Through theblock are vertical passages 30, they agreeing, as

do also the openings through the foot-plate l4 and the jack-passages l8,with the particular nailing design which is being used. At the oppositesides of the lower face of the block are rectangular ways 32, in whichslides a nail-supporting shutter 34. In the shutter are openings 36corresponding to the block-passages. This shutter is relatively thickand is grooved from front to rear, the transverse contour at 3'? beingthat of the jack-top l6. Into the groove, the

openings 36 lead. The shutter-openings, when 'alined with the passages36 for the delivery of the nails, provide continuations of them,furnishing practically unbroken lateral guides for the nails until theyenter the jack-passages l8, since there is but slight clearance betweenthe convex jacktop and the complementally curved shutter-face. At theupper face of the block at its opposite sides, there are dovetail ways38 to receive a comparatively thin, light, nail-retaining shutter 40,

openings 32 in which may be brought into and out of alinement with theblock-passages. The shutters 34 and 3B are normally held yieldably atpoints determined by the engagement of shutter-surfaces M and 46,respectively, with the opposite extremities of the block, by an expansion-{spring 48 common to both shutters. From these points, saidshutters are oppositely movable. This spring is contained in a chamberfurnished by a horizontal bore through one extremity of the block, theopening of the bore being closed by a plate 58 fixed to the shutter 34and against which the spring abuts. The opposite extremity of the springcontacts with a depending portion 5! of a piece 53 secured on andextending beneath the shutter 40, it being movable along a slot openingthrough the block into the chamber. Normally, the shutter 39 being open,the spring holds the shutter 34 closed. To cause the openings 42 in theshutter do to register accurately 55 with the openings l5 of the shutterH2 at the footplate and with the block-passages 3t when the loader is atits rearward nail-receiving position, and yet to be closed by the spring18 as soon as the loader starts forward, a screw 52 is threadedhorizontally through a lug 5 t rising from the forward extremity of theshutter-piece 53. This screw contacts with the foot-plate as the loadermoves beneath it, and, at a time determined by the adjustment of thescrew, the vertical alinement of the openings is efiected. In theopposite or forward extreme of travel of the loader, the normally closedshutter 34 is opened by contact of a projection 56 therefrom with thejack J. To correctly time the movement of the shutter 3G with thearrival of the block-passages 30 over the jack-passages E8, theprojection 5'0 is preferably in the form of an eccentric depending froman enlarged shank 58 rotatable in the shutter. The eccentric is variableas to its angular relation by being turned about the axis of its shank,it being fixed at the chosen point by a clamping bolt 69]. The portionof the eccentric which engages the jack will enable the operator tocause the shutter-openings i2 and the blockand jack-passages to bealined simultaneously.

At the beginning of a nail-supplying cycle, the loader L will be beneaththe foot-plate I4 (Figs. 2 and 4), with the openings 42 of its shutter40 held open by the contact of the screw 52 with the foot-plate, thecompressed spring 48 maintaining the shutter 34 closed. Theblock-passages 30, the shutter-openings d2, the distributor-tubes l8 andthe openings E5 in the foot-plate-shutter l2 are all alined, thelast-mentioned shutter being opened by a spring 62, as in thepreviouslymentioned patent. The shutter 34 is supporting a load of nailsN in the passages 3i), supplied during the previous cycle. In theinitiation of nail-delivery by the operator, the bar 22 travels forwardadvancing the block 26. The footplate-shutter i2 is at once closed by alink 64, similarly to the MacKenzie organization, the openings l5 movingaway from the ends of the distributor-tubes it) so it is ready for thereception of the succeeding load of nails. The shutter 9 is now closedby the spring '48, said spring acting also to hold the shutter 3 3closed. Consequently, the entire load of nails is resting secure againstdisplacement in completely closed chambers in the block. As the loaderis stopped by engagement with the jack, the shutter 34 is opened by thecontact of its eccentric 56 therewith, and both the shutter-openings 36and the block-passages Bil are brought into simultaneous registrationwith the jack-passages E8. The nails are therefore delivered to thejack, the openings in the thick shutter terminating in the groove 3'!closely fitting the jack-top l6 furnishing almost unbroken conduits toguide the nails. Be-

cause of the closure of the shutter 40 at this time, the nails cannot bethrown upwardly from the loader-passages. Delivery to the jack havingbeen thus accomplished, the bar returns the loader to its initialposition. The shutter 34 is closed by the spring 38 upon leaving thejack, and upon arrival at the foot-plate of the distributor, theshutters at] and I2 are opened, the nails on the latter falling upon thenow closed shutter 3 and terminating the nail-supplying and -deliveringcycle.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a nailing machine, a loader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the Work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block, andmovable means at such opposite sides of the block for temporarilyretaining the nails in the passages during the movement of said blockinto nail-delivering position.

2. In a nailing machine, a loader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block, meansmovable at such opposite sides of the block for temporarily retainingthe nails in the passages, and means common to the two retaining meansfor maintaining them in their normal positions.

3. In a nailing machine, a loader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block,movable means at such opposite sides of the block for temporarilyretaining the nails in the passages during the movement of said blockinto nail-delivering position, means for moving the retaining means, andmeans arranged to separately vary the time of actuation of the retainingmeans.

4. In a nailing machine, a loader-block mov able to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block toreceive nails at one end and deliver them at the other, and meansmovable at the receiving ends of the passages to close said passagesafter the reception of the nails and to maintain the closure throughoutthe nail-delivering travel.

5. In a nailing machine, a ioader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said block having pairs of ways at opposite sides of the block,and nail-retaining shutters movable with the block and in oppositedirections in the pairs of ways thereon.

6. In a nailing machine, a loader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block toreceive nails at one end and deliver them at the other,'and anail-retaining shutter movable with and upon the block across thepassages at each side of said block, the shutter at the nail-receivingside being light and thin and the shutter at the nail-delivering sidebeing relatively thick and having passages for alinement with theblock-passages.

7. In a nailing machine, a loader-block movable to deliver nails fortheir insertion in the work and provided with passages for holding thenails, said passages opening through opposite sides of the block toreceive nails at one end and deliver them at the other, and anail-retaining shutter movable with and upon the block across thepassages at each side of said block, the shutter at the nail-receivingside being light and thin and the shutter at the nail-delivering sidebeing relatively thick and having passages for alinement with theblock-passages, the nail-delivering shutter being provided with atransversely curved groove into which the passages open.

8. In a heel-attaching machine, a nail-distributor, a work-supportingjack, a loader-block movable between the distributor and jack andprovided with nail-holding passages connecting its upper and lowerfaces, and shutters movable with and upon the block across the oppositeends of the passages.

9. In a heel-attaching machine, a nail-distributor, a work-supportingjack, 2. loader-block movable between the distributor and jack andprovided with nail-holding passages connecting its upper and lowerfaces, shutters movable upon the block across the opposite ends of thepassages, and a spring contacting with both shutters.

10. In a heel-attaching machine, a nail-distributor, a work-supportingjack, a loader block movable between the distributor and jack andprovided with nail-holding passages connecting its upper and lowerfaces, shutters movable upon the block across the opposite ends of thepassages, and a member variable in position upon each shutter, themembers being arranged for respective contact with the distributor andjack.

11. In a heel-attaching machine, a nail-distributor, a work-supportingjack, a loader-block movable between the distributor and jack andprovided with nail-holding passages connecting its upper and lowerfaces, and a shutter movable with and upon the block across the upperends of the passages.

12. In a heel-attaching machine, a nail-distributor, a jack having atransversely curved work-supporting top, a loader-block movable betweenthe distributor and jack and provided with nail-holding passagesconnecting its upper and lower faces, and a shutter movable upon theblock across the passages and having its lower face transversely curvedto generally correspond to the jack-top, the passage-walls furnishingpractically continuous lateral guides for the nails in their travelbetween the distributor and the jack.

13. In a nail-transferrng device, a block having nail-holding passages,two shutters controlling the passage-openings, and a spring acting uponthe shutters.

14. In a nail-transferring device, a block having nail-holding passagesconnecting its upper and lower sides and a chamber between its'oppositeends, two shutters movable upon the block to control the passages, and aspring situated in the chamber and exerting its expansive force uponboth shutters.

15. In a nail-transferring device, a block having nail-holding passagesconnecting its upper and lower sides and a chamber between its oppositeends, a passage-controlling shutter movable upon the block, and a springcontained in the chamber and acting upon the shutter to hold it normallyclosed.

16. In a nail-transferring device, a block having nail-holding passagesconnecting its upper and lower sides and a chamber between its oppositeends, a passage-controlling shutter movable upon the block, the shutterhaving a projection extending over one end of the chamber, and a springin the chamber contacting with the shutter-projection.

17. The combination with a loader-block having a nail-holding passage,of a passage-controlling shutter movable upon the block, an eccentricrotatable upon the shutter and arranged for contact with a relativelyfixed member to actuate said shutter, and means arranged to secure theeccentric in difierent angular positions.

18. In a heel-attaching machine, a jack, a loader-block movable intonail-delivering relation to the jack, a nail-retaining shutter movableupon the loader-block, and a rotatable eccentric projecting from theshutter for contact with the jack.

19. In a nail-transferring device, a block having nail-holding passagesopening through it and being movable between nail-receiving andnaildelivering positions, and means carried by the block for closingboth ends of the passages.

JOHN F. STANDISH.

